Nanotechnology in the Secondary Science Classroom (NISSC)

Activity Set 5

Connecting Acids and Bases with Encapsulation . . .

and Chemistry with Nanotechnology

I. The Set at a Glance

A. Level:

Introductory Chemistry (10th – 11th grade)

B. Nanotechnology Core Concepts Addressed:

1. CC3: Properties as a Function of Scale and / or Structure

a. How do properties change as we move from more familiar scales to the nanoscale?

b. What new properties arise at the nanoscale that can be exploited?

2. CC6: Health and Safety Issues: Risk Analysis and Unintended Consequences

a. What advantages are gained by producing materials at the nanoscale that could not be seen

at different scales?

b. What problems could arise from materials produced at the nanoscale that might not be

seen in materials at different scales?

c. How can we determine whether it is in our best interest to pursue a certain application at

the nanoscale?

C. PA State Science Standards Addressed:

D. Number of Class Periods Required:

1. Focus Activity: What Makes an Acid an Acid? (and a Base a Base for That Matter) – 1 period

2. Explore Activity: Not All Acids and Bases Are Created Equal – 1 period

3. Reflect Activity: Teacher Discussion of Weak vs. Strong Acids and Bases – 1 period

4. Apply Activity: Encapsulation – In Chemistry and Beyond – 1 period

5. Extension Activity: Using Nanotechnology to Wage War on Cancer – 2 periods

II. General Background

III. Activity Set Structure

A. Information for the Focus Activity

1. Student Background: Prior to the focus activity (“What Makes an Acid an Acid . . .”), students

should have been exposed to certain concepts of solution chemistry such as the meaning of

molarity and the difference between electrolyte and non-electrolyte at the microscopic level.

(It should be noted that Svante Arrhenius originally developed the notion of electrolytes as

charged or ionic substances and non-electrolytes as neutral or molecular substances.) They will

also need to have become familiar with the properties that cause us to classify a material as an

acid and a base and should have some knowledge of examples of these two classes of materials.

2. Activity Objective: It should be obvious from the article that the activity set described is

designed to be used as part of a discussion on acids and bases. The goal of the focus activity is

to help students gather the same kind of information that lead Arrhenius to his theory of acids

and bases (which was built off of his more general Theory of Electrolytes).

3. Materials: All materials used in this activity were purchased from Flinn Scientific; they are . . .

a. 24-well reaction plates – AP 1447; $2.95 each

b. Conductivity testers – AP 1493; $19.85 each; these have the advantage over other testers of

being semi-quantitative.

c. Magnesium metal – Magnesium turnings, M0004, $13.61 for 100 g.

d. Zinc metal – Zinc mossy, Z0003, $9.70 for a 500 g. bottle

e. Wood splints – AP4455, $4.10 for 1000

f. Test tubes with rims – 15 x 125 mm, GP6015, $39.60 for 72 (this size perfectly fits over the

wells in the reaction plate)

4. Two final notes about this activity:

a. It is very important that the acids be used in exactly the concentrations specified in Part B.

These have been determined to produce the greatest amount of bubble formation for the

different metal – acid combinations without overflowing the wells too greatly.

b. The two metal – acid combinations that do not produce a positive test (a ‘pop’ to indicate

hydrogen) with the burning splint are those involving nitric acid. This was included in the

set because the activity-set developer believes that it is important that students become

familiar with anomalies – instances that do not fit a pattern. In this case, the anomaly is a

result of the fact that it is energetically more favorable for the nitric acid to produce nitrogen

dioxide than it is too produce hydrogen. Students observing carefully will see evidence for

this in the form of a production of a yellowish-brown gas in the tubes for these

combinations. Teachers concerned with the impact that this will have on the ability of

students to reach the appropriate conclusion could consider removing these combinations.

B. Information for the Explore Activity

1. Student Background: This activity is designed to build off of the first one, but it also requires at

least a basic understanding of the concept of pH. A lesson to cover this concept could be

sandwiched between the focus and explore activities. The discussion in this lesson could be kept

simple by presenting pH as the Power of [the] Hydrogen [Ion], noting that pH is a logarithmic or

power scale similar to the decibel and Richter scales. For solutions of simple concentrations (e.g.

1.0 M or 1.0 x 10-3 M), students could be shown that the pH value is equal to the negative of the

power of 10 in the molar concentration.

2. Activity Objective: The goal of the reflect phase is to introduce students to the two sub-classes

of acids (and bases): weak and strong. To frame this activity, the teacher might have bottles of

the strong laboratory acids (hydrochloric, nitric, and sulfuric) at the front of the room, along with

commercial products containing weak acids, such as vinegar (acetic), fruit juices (citric), etc.

3. Materials:

a. Magnesium metal – see information in Section A.

b. Marble chips – Flinn Scientific, M0033, $9.20 for 2 kg.

c. Thymol blue indicator – Flinn Scientific, T0045, $7.10 for 100 mL

d. LabPro – Vernier Software, LABPO, $220 each (need LoggerPro Software installed on

computer with which the LabPro is interfaced)

e. pH Probe – Vernier Software, PH-BTA, $78.00 each (other probes that a teacher might

already have could be substituted for these and d.)

4. Two final notes:

a. One of the biggest pushes in the science education literature recently has been for teachers to

have students use models to explain things more often than typically occurs. This investiga-

tion provides an excellent opportunity to do this as students can be asked to use the

Arrhenius model of acids (molecules that dissociate in water to produce H+’s) to account for

the differences between weak and strong acids. Based on this model, the strength of an acid

would be a function of what percentage of the molecules ‘break apart’ in solution. This is

why there is a difference between strength and concentration. A 0.1 M solution of HCl

would have 100% of its molecules dissociated, whereas a 0.1 M solution of HC2H3O2 would

have far, far fewer than 100% of its molecules dissociated.

b. Having explained the difference between weak and strong acids (and bases) in a. in terms of

dissociation (building off of the Arrhenius Theory), there is a recognition that this is not the

most modern explanation of the phenomenon. Constructing a description of Bronsted-

Lowry theory at some point ‘down the road’, a teacher could discuss the strong-weak acid /

based distinction again, this time in terms of complete / incomplete ionization and acid-base

equilibria. The author feels that this topic warrants examination a couple of times in an

introductory course due to its importance to not only chemistry but biology as well.

C. Information for the Reflect Lesson: Teachers are left to their own devices as to how best to

synthesize the ideas generated in the focus and explore investigations. As noted in the main article,

Volume 3 of Bassam Shakhashiri’s Chemical Demonstrations: A Handbook for Teachers not only

contains some useful demonstrations for getting at some of the concepts at hand, but also has some

excellent background information.

D. Information for the Apply Lesson:

1. Student Background: Both as a way to review the ideas of the previous lessons and to provide the

context for this lesson, the teacher might want to begin pre-activity discussion by reminding

students of the Arrhenius Theory, its main points, and how those can be used to provide a

[simplified] explanation of the difference between weak and strong acids and bases. There would

also be a need to introduce students to information about the polymer that will be at the heart of

the work they will be doing; references containing such information are found at the end of the

main article (17. and 18.). It is important that the teacher discuss the nature of the cross-linked

polymer shell that students will form as they drop the solutions / mixtures containing alginate into

the calcium chloride solution; this would offer an opportunity to review / discuss ionic

attractions. Also, it is essential that students have a mental picture of this polymer matrix as

something with ‘pores’ in it and not as a solid sheet, so that they can understand the diffusion of

various species (H+ and CO2) that will be fundamental to understanding their observations.

2. Activity Objective: There are two goals of this activity. The first is to reinforce students’ under-

standing of weak and strong acids and bases by having them use these concepts to account for the

results of their investigation. The second is to introduce them to the phenomenon of encapsula-

tion so that the teacher can infuse a nanotechnology connection by letting students research (in

the extension activity) how nanoencapsulated drugs, nanoreactors, gold nanoshells, etc. are being

developed to be used in the fight against cancer. These nanoscale strategies hold the promise of

more effective treatment of cancers without all of the serious side effects of other methods.

3. Materials:

a. 0.3 M calcium chloride: 100 g. of CaCl2 . 2H2O can be purchased from Flinn Scientific for

$7.50 [C0196]. For use in four different introductory chemistry classes, the author made

500 mL of solution which involves dissolving 22.05 g. in 400 mL distilled water and then

diluting to the mark in a 500-mL volumetric flask.

b. Sodium alginate solution: 100 g. of the sodium salt of alginic acid can be purchased from

Aldrich Chemical for $23.30 [18,094-7]. For each class, the author prepared 150 mL of this

solution. This involved weighing out 3.0 g. of the sodium alginate (1.0 g. / 50 mL), putting

150 mL of hot tap water into a 250-mL beaker, and sprinkling the sodium alginate into this hot

water a little bit at a time while stirring. The idea is to avoid excessive clumping of the

polymer which will occur if the water is not hot or the solid is added too quickly. The solution

can still be used if clumps form (they do not need to be filtered), there will just be less alginate

available for capsule formation. Finally, a 1% solution of Congo red indicator is added until

the solution has a distinct red color. [An additional note about this solution: Although this has

not been fully tested by the author, it appears that the effective shelf life of this solution may

only be a couple of weeks before mold begins growing in it.]

c. Gaviscon: This is a commercial product [antacid] which can be found at various drug stores,

Wal-Mart, etc. The author has generally used the Regular strength, cool mint version of this

product. It sells for about $7.69 per 10 oz. bottle, which was enough to supply the Gaviscon

for four introductory chemistry classes. As with the sodium alginate solution, a 1% solution

of Congo red must be added to this mixture until a distinct red color is produced.

d. Vinegar: This is the traditional 5% solution available at grocery stores.

e. Sodium bisulfate: This can be purchased as a solid powder at pool stores as pH Down. The

author found that a good result was obtained if the sodium bisulfate solution was prepared at a

concentration of 10.00 g. of the solid powder per 100 mL of water. It is the one chemical that

deserves some attention as it is a strongly acidic salt. It was chosen because (a) it is

commercially available and represents a non-traditional acid (as it is a solid and students

generally think of acids as liquids) and (b) it is a stronger acid than vinegar and so it gives a

quicker color change and more vigorous bubbling with the spheres. However, students should

be warned that it is strongly acidic and so must be handled with the proper care. After the

students have completed the part 2 testing, these samples should be collected in a common

waste container and neutralized with baking soda before washing the mixture down the sink.

4. Two Final Notes:

a. As noted above, their will be differences between the vinegar and the pH Down in terms of

the rate and extent of color change of the Congo red indicator and the rate and amount of

bubbling. These differences can be explained in terms of vinegar acting as a weak acid and

the sodium bisulfate acting as a strong acid.

b. An important question to pose to students is why it is that there is little evidence of the Congo

red indicator diffusing out of the spheres. While this would eventually happen, it is a rather

slow process due to the size of this dye molecule. This will provide further conceptual

background for the students when they move into the extension activity.

E. Information for the Extension Activity

1. Student Background: Students should be first reminded of the phenomenon that they witnessed

in the previous activity – the diffusion of hydrogen ions into the alginate spheres. It should be

discussed with them that the reverse process – diffusion of chemical species out of such spheres –

can take place. This could lead into a discussion of encapsulation at the micro level and such

applications as carbonless copy paper (for background information regarding this, see White,

M.A. “The Chemistry behind Carbonless Copy Paper”, Journal of Chemical Education, 75, 9,

1119 – 1120; see http://mrsec.wisc.edu/Edetc/IPSE/educators/smPapers.html for activities related

to this), scratch-n-sniff stickers (see www.microscent.com/?History for historical background;

see Shultz, E. “Pop-and-Sniff Experimentation: A High-Impact Sensory Teaching Device”,

Journal of Chemical Education, 64, 9, 797 – 798), and even gum (see product information for

Thera-Brand gum at www.therabreath.com.au/prodtbo.html). Of course, one of the most

important applications of micro-encapsulation is in medicine, where the shell of the capsule helps

protect the medicinal compounds in their torturous journey to get into the bloodstream.

From there it is a logical (although technically-challenging jump) to nano-encapsulation.

One application of this that has already been successfully tested in the laboratory is its use in

creating electronic inks (see www.media.mit.edu/micromedia/elecpaper.html for movies of a

version created at MIT; visit www.eink.com/ for the commercial spin-off of this project; and go

to www.sciencentral.com/ then type in electronic paper in the search engine to access articles on

this work). The other major application – and the one which is the focus of the extension activity

– is in medicine. Nano-encapsulated drugs work both by diffusion into the capsule (nanoreactors,

which were mimicked on the macro scale by the capsules in the apply activity) and out of the

capsule (such as the drug Abraxane discussed in the opening paragraph of the main article).

Additionally, the extension activity introduces students to other examples of nanotechnology in

medicine such as Buckyballs (also representing nano-encapsulation), gold nanoshells, and

dendrimers. Numerous resources for the teacher to review in preparation for this activity and the

discussions with students that are likely to ensue are found in the final notes for this activity.

2. Activity Objective: One of the objectives of this activity is to make students aware of the

importance of scale in terms of the technological challenges of moving down (or up) in scale and

in terms of the effect scale has on a particular phenomenon. For instance, moving from micro-

encapsulation to nano-encapsulation required overcoming challenges in the processing involved.

The return for investing the time and money to meet these challenges – at least in medical

applications – is capsules that are at the size scale (and smaller) of the biological entities with

which they are interacting. This has the potential to make nanocapsules more effective.

The other goal is to introduce students to the wide array of nanotechnology-based cancer

diagnostic techniques / treatments being researched at present. For this reason, the extension

activity has a research / presentation format allowing each group to focus on one particular

technique / treatment, while still exposing the class as a whole to the entire set of strategies.

3. Materials: All that is required is access to the Internet for student research.

4. Answers to Questions in 14.:

a. The Congo red has a pH range for its color transition of 3.0 (blue) to 5.2 (red).

b. Both vinegar and sodium bisulfate are classified as acids. Acetic acid is a weak acid, whereas

the bisulfate ion is considered a strong acid. This, of course, implies that they will both

increase the concentration of H+ (H3O+) in an aqueous environment as is used in this activity.

c. In both cases, the spheres went through a color change. The spheres in the vinegar will not

change completely to blue but will end up some intermediate purplish color, whereas the

sodium bisulfate spheres will change completely to blue. In both cases, the color change is

due to the diffusion of H+ [H3O+] into the spheres.

d. The pure alginate produced no bubbling while the Gaviscon produced bubbling. This is due

to the reaction between H+ (H3O+) diffusing in and CO3-2 present inside the spheres.

4. Final Notes: Some web sites for teachers to review (some are found in the student hand-out)

a. www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3209/03.html -- Based on a PBS program that detailed

the research – and gender struggles of Dr. Naomi Halas, who has pioneered the use of gold

nanoshells to treat cancer. The Cancer Nanotech slide show presents an excellent overview of

different uses of nanotechnology in cancer treatment.

b. www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/understandingcancer/nanodevices -- A section of the National

Institute of Cancer’s web site that contains slides on the use of various nanotechnology

processes in the diagnosis / treatment of cancer

c. http://nano.cancer.gov/resource_center/nano_critical.asp -- Contains a discussion of the value

of using nanotechnology to treat cancer as well as animations of how certain techniques work

d. www.livescience.com/humanbiology/050727_cancer_drug.html – Live Science article on a

cancer drug developed by researchers at MIT and representing an example of nano-

encapsulation

e. www.livescience.com/imageoftheday/siod_050523.html – Discusses ‘vaults’ which are

found naturally in many animals – including humans – and someday may be engineered to

deliver drug ‘payloads’

f. www.livescience.com/technology/050415_nano_probes.html – Looks at quantum dots and

their potential to act as probes to detect diseased cells

g. www.tinhoahoc.com/Nanotechnology/nano-reactor1.pdf#search='nanoreactors' – pdf

document that discusses some research into nanoreactors

h. www.arl.army.mil/wmrd/Tech/NanoMat.pdf#search='nanoreactors' – A brief pdf

document that overviews military uses of nano-encapsulation and nanoreactors in

protection against chemical and biological weapons

i. http://nano.cancer.gov/news_center/nanotech_news_2005-10-24c.asp -- Discusses research by

a team in Switzerland showing, in principle, how nanoreactors could be used to fight cancer

j. www.evidenttech.com/qdot-definition/quantum-dot-about.php -- Contains a wonderful

explanation of how quantum dots work (changing quantum-dot-about.php to

quantum-dot-introduction.php takes you to a series of animations on this topic)

IV. Student Versions of the Activity Set Hand-outs

Introductory Chemistry Name_____________________________

Activity Set, Investigation 1 Date _____________________________

What Makes an Acid an Acid? (and a Base a Base for That Matter?)

Introduction

Recent activities and discussions have introduced you to two very important classes of chemicals:

Acids and bases. You have become familiar with some of the properties which cause chemists to place a

material into one of those two classes and become familiar with some common examples. However, for

chemists (and for you), it is not satisfactory to create such categories and to organize things into them; they

(and you) are usually more interested in explaining what causes such categories to exist. In this activity,

you will be able to gather the clues necessary to provide such an explanation for acids and bases.

Procedure

A. Gathering Clue #1 about Acids

1. Obtain a 24-well reaction plate, a wash bottle containing distilled water, and a conductivity tester.

2. Working in Row A for this part, fill each of the first four wells ~half way with distilled water.

3. Unpack your conductivity tester (C.T.) and turn it on. Test each of the four distilled water samples

with it. If any of them show a significant level of conductivity, remove the distilled water from the

well with a plastic pipet, clean the well out with a Q-tip, and then replace the distilled water in it.

4. You and a partner group should share dropping bottles of the four acids with which you are going

to work in Parts A. and B.: Hydrochloric (3 M); nitric (3 M); phosphoric (3 M) and sulfuric (3 M).

Gather up dropping bottles containing these four acids (read the concentration value carefully).

5. Add 3 drops of [3 M] hydrochloric acid to the distilled water in the well 1 of row A., add 3 drops of

[3 M] nitric acid to well 2 of row A, add 3 drops of [3 M] phosphoric acid to well 3, and add

3 drops of [3 M] sulfuric acid to well 4.

6. Place the C.T. in the liquid in well 1, use the copper electrodes to mix in the drops of hydrochloric

acid, and then record the conductivity level. Rinse off the electrodes with distilled water.

7. Repeat the process described in step 6. for the liquid mixtures in the other three wells.

8. After you have recorded all of your data, turn the battery power off on the C.T., rinse off the copper

electrodes one last time with distilled water, then clean them with steel wool, and box the C.T. up.

Data

Acid Tested Conductivity Level

1. Hydrochloric

2. Nitric

3. Phosphoric

4. Sulfuric

Part A. Follow-up Questions (Show your answers to these to your instructor before moving on)

1. What is true of the conductivity of the acids you tested (and acids in general)? What does this tell

you about the microscopic nature of acid solutions? (i.e. Of what must acid solutions be made?)

2. One of the properties of all acids is that they taste sour. What would have to be true (at the micro-

scopic level) of acids to allow them all to taste the same?

3. What overall conclusion about what makes an acid an acid can you draw from Part A.?

B. Gathering Clue #2 about Acids

1. Obtain the following materials: Two small test tubes which have a mouth size with the same

diameter as the wells of your reaction plate, several (3 – 4) wooden splints, a cup of mossy zinc,

and a cup of magnesium turnings. (The last two items can be shared with your partner group.)

2. You are going to be studying the reaction between the two metals in the materials set (zinc and

magnesium) and the four acids that you tested in Part A. One problem is that three of the four

acids – hydrochloric, nitric, and sulfuric – require a higher concentration to produce a testable

amount of gas with the zinc than to produce an equivalent amount with the magnesium. As a

result, you will be using all 3 M solutions of the acids to react with the zinc, but 1 M solutions of

the acids to react with the magnesium (except for the phosphoric acid, which will still be 3 M). To

that end, obtain dropping bottles of 1 M hydrochloric, nitric, and sulfuric acids (share these).

3. To make the testing process more clear, a very specific set of directions as to what acid solution to

place in what well follows. Make sure that you use the acid straight from the dropping bottle (do

not dilute it with distilled water) and that you fill each well ~half way with the designated acid . . .

a. Hydrochloric: 3 M in row A, well 6 and 1 M in row B, well 5

b. Nitric: 3 M in row B, well 1 and 1 M in row B, well 3

c. Phosphoric: 3 M in row C, well 6 and 3 M in row D, well 5

d. Sulfuric: 3 M in row D, well 1 and 1 M in row D, well 3

4. Place 1 – 2 pieces of mossy zinc into the row A, well 6 sample of hydrochloric acid and several

(~a half-dozen) pieces of magnesium turnings into the row B, well 5 sample. Immediately cover

the wells containing both of these reaction mixtures with the small test tubes (inverted).

5. Allow the reactions occurring in each well to proceed for ~1 minute; record observations during

that time period. At the end of reaction time, light a wooden splint, lift one of the two test tubes

from its position covering the well (keep it inverted) and bring the burning splint to its mouth.

Record observations and then repeat this test for the other test tube.

6. Continue through the other three pairs of acid samples in the manner outlined in steps 4. and 5.:

Place mossy zinc in the 3 M member of the pair, magnesium turnings in the 1 M member, and

cover both reaction wells with test tubes (you can use the same 2 test tubes throughout). After the

1-minute reaction time, light a wooden splint, lift the test tube off of the well and bring the burning

splint to its mouth. Make sure to compare the results of this testing between the different acids.

7. To clean up, pick the pieces of mossy zinc out and place them in a recovery beaker, scrape the

leftover magnesium into the garbage can, and rinse the remaining liquids down the sink.

Data Table

Acid Tested Observations with Zn Metal Observations with Mg Metal

1. Hydrochloric

2. Nitric

3. Phosphoric

4. Sulfuric

Follow-up Questions for Part B.

1. What was the most common result(s) of the testing you did in this section? What does this indicate

about the gas(es) produced by these metal-acid combinations? Where did this gas come from?

2. Did all of the metal-acid combinations produce the same result? If not, what did you notice that

was different about the one(s) that did not?

3. Draw an overall conclusion: Why do all acids have the same set of properties?

C. Gathering Clue #1 about Bases

1. You are basically going to repeat the procedure you undertook in Part A., except that you will be

testing several different bases. To that end, obtain a clean 24-well reaction plate and unpack your

conductivity tester.

2. Repeat steps 2. and 3. of Part A.

3. Gather the following four base solutions: Sodium hydroxide (2 M), potassium hydroxide (2 M),

sodium carbonate (washing soda, 1 M), potassium carbonate (potash, 2 M). Share these with your

partner group.

4. Add 3 drops of sodium hydroxide solution to the distilled water in well 1, 3 drops of potassium

hydroxide solution to the distilled water in well 2, 3 drops of sodium carbonate solution to well 3,

and 3 drops of potassium carbonate solution to well 4.

5. Test the conductivity of these liquid mixtures as you did in steps 6. and 7. of Part A.

6. Clean up as you did in step 8. of Part A.

D. Gathering Clue #2 about Bases

1. Use row C. of your 24-well reaction plate. Place ~15 drops of each of the four base solutions being

studied in a different well of this row; keep them in the order they appear in the Table below.

2. Obtain a dropping bottle of 0.1 M ferric [iron (III)] nitrate solution. Add ~6 drops of this reagent

to each of the four base-solution samples and record your observations in the Table below.

3. Clean out your 24-well reaction plate and leave it turned upside down on paper toweling to dry.

Data Table

Base Tested Conductivity Level Result with Iron Nitrate

1. Sodium hydroxide

2. Potassium hydroxide

3. Sodium carbonate

4. Potassium carbonate

Follow-up Question: What makes a base, a base and how did the information you gathered in

this section lead you to this conclusion?

Introductory Chemistry Name_____________________________

Activity Set, Investigation 2 Date _____________________________

Not All Acids [and Bases] Are Created Equal

Introduction

While most people have heard of the terms acid and base, few people have a genuine understanding

concerning what these terms refer to other than being able to identify familiar materials belonging to each

category. Hopefully, your own understanding of that term is now much deeper, as you should not only be

able to provide examples of each of those two classes of substances, but you should also be able to identify

some of the characteristics by which we place things in each class. Additionally, you should have achieved

one of the most sought after goals in chemistry: A molecular-level explanation of why all acids and why all

bases act alike. That explanation is in the form of one the earliest models to account for the behavior of

acids and bases: The Arrhenius Theory. It explains the properties of these materials by suggesting that

acids are materials that dissociate in water to produce hydrogen ions [H+] and bases are materials that

dissociate in water to produce hydroxide ions [OH--]. This allows you to understand the meaning of pH as

the power of hydrogen: The concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution written as its power of ten value.

Your foray into this topic will be complete when you are able to recognize that even though all of

the materials we call acids share a common set of chemical properties, there are differences within the

members of this class of compounds; that also holds true for bases. Though those differences may seem

subtle on the surface – as you may soon discover – they have a profound impact in the way we use – and

handle – different acids and bases. You will hopefully leave this activity with an appreciation for those

differences – and with the microscopic explanation of why those differences exist.

Procedure

1. Obtain a clean 24-well reaction plate.

2. You will need to find beakers containing 1 M solutions of the following four acids: Acetic, citric,

hydrochloric, and nitric. (You and a partner group can share a set of these acid solutions.) Answer

these questions concerning this set of solutions:

a. What does the “1 M” indicate? Be specific.

b. Since all of the solutions in this set are “1 M”, what does that mean about these four solutions?

3. Locate row A. of your reaction plate and fill the first well in it no more than one-third of the way

with the acetic acid solution, the second well no more than one-third of the way with citric acid, the

third well no more than one-third of the way with hydrochloric acid and the fourth well no more

than one-third of the way with nitric acid.

4. Fill rows B. and C. in exactly the same manner as you filled row A.

5. Row D. will be filled with the same sequence of acids (acetic, citric, hydrochloric, and nitric);

however, each well in this row should be filled up approximately half way.

6. Obtain a cup containing magnesium metal turnings and an accompanying scoopula. Transfer 8 -10

magnesium turnings into the acid [acetic] solution in well 1 of row A. and observe. Repeat with

the other three wells in this row; try to place the same number of magnesium turnings in each.

Record your observations in the Data Table, then answer the questions below:

a. What signpost of a chemical change is there in these wells?

b. What substance is being produced that results in that signpost being observed?

c. Did all of the acid samples react the same way? Should they? If they didn’t, why didn’t they?

7. Obtain a cup containing marble chips (calcium carbonate) and a pair of tweezers. Transfer 1 – 2

marble chips into the acid [acetic] solution in well 1 of row B. and observe. Repeat with the other

three wells in this row. Record your observations in the D. T., then answer the questions below:

a. What signpost of a chemical change is there in these wells?

b. What substance is being produced that results in that signpost being observed?

c. Did all of the acid samples react the same way? Should they? If they didn’t, why didn’t they?

8. Obtain a dropping bottle containing thymol blue indicator. Add 3 – 5 drops (enough to produce a

distinct coloration) of this indicator solution to the acid [acetic] in well 1 of row C. and observe.

Repeat with the other three wells in this row. Record your observations in the Data Table, then

answer the questions below:

a. This is an acid-base or pH indicator; what is the pH range(s) over which this indicator changes

color and what are the colors it changes between?

b. Use the information you just filled in for a. to estimate the pH values or the range of values for

each of the four acid solutions. Are the pH values the same for each? Should they be?

9. Set up a pH Probe – LabPro System and proceed through the necessary steps to calibrate this

equipment to read pH (refer to the accompanying “Calibrating the pH Probe” hand-out). Place

the pH probe in the acid [acetic] solution in well 1 of D., then read and record the pH value once

it stabilizes. Remove the probe from this sample, rinse it off thoroughly with distilled water, and

then place it in the acid [citric] solution in well 2. Read and record the pH value. Repeat for the

other two acid [hydrochloric and nitric] solution samples. After you have recorded all of the pH

values in the Data Table, answer the questions below:

a. What does pH stand for? What is being measured by the pH value?

b. Based on the questions you were asked in 2., how should the pH values of the four solutions

compare to each other? Explain your answer.

c. If the four values do not compare in the manner that you suggest in b., offer an explanation for

why they might not.

Data Table

Property Tested Acetic Acid Citric Acid Hydrochloric Acid Nitric Acid

1. Rx with Mg

turnings

2. Rx with marble

chips

3. Thymol blue

indicator

4. pH probe

reading

Experimental Investigations into the Nature of Acids and Bases

Laboratory Evaluation Rubric

Group Members: ________________________ _________________________

________________________ _________________________

Rubric Element Score Spectrum

1. Collected accurate data concerning the conductivity 0 1 2 3 4

of acids in Part A. of the “What Makes an Acid, an

Acid?” activity

2. Formulated a valid conclusion from the results of the 0 1 2 3 4 5

of the cond. testing in that activity

3. Collected accurate data concerning the reaction of 0 1 2 3 4

of acids with metals in Part B. of the “What Makes

an Acid, an Acid?” activity

4. Formulated a valid conclusion from the results of the 0 1 2 3 4 5

of the metal Rx / splint testing in that activity

5. Responded adequately to the questions concerning 0 1 2 3 4

the meaning of 1 M in the “Their Not All Created

Equal” activity

6. Collected thorough observations and responded well 0 1 2 3 4

to the questions concerning reactions with Mg and

CaCO3 in the “Their Not All . . .” activity

7. Collected thorough observations and responded well 0 1 2 3 4

to the questions concerning indicator and pH measure-

ments in the “Their Not All . . .” activity

8. Proposed a reasonable and logically-sound explanation 0 1 2 3 4 5

for the result of that activity which was based on

prior knowledge

Points Achieved: __________

Possible Points: __________ 35 Comments:

Introductory Chemistry Name_____________________________

Activity Set, Investigation 3 Date _____________________________

Encapsulation – in Chemistry and Beyond

Introduction

It has been said that you truly understand something when you are able to explain it clearly to

others. Most scientists would probably say that you truly understand a scientific concept when you are able

to use it to explain a new instant of that concept or to predict the outcome of a situation that involves that

concept. For this activity, you will be held up to the second view of what it means to ‘understand’

something. That something is weak and strong acids and bases and, in the simplest terms, what you will be

asked to do in the investigation that follows is to apply your understanding of these terms to a model

system. That model system will introduce you in a very visible way to the phenomenon of encapsulation –

the trapping or confining one chemical / material in another.

There are examples of encapsulation all around you: Scratch-n-Sniff stickers, carbonless copy paper

(such as when you sign a receipt), and pressure-activated adhesives (such as Scotch-Grip™ by 3M).

Perhaps the most significant of the applications of encapsulation is in the realm of medicine, where drug

molecules are [micro-] encapsulated so they can survive the journey into the digestive system where they

can be released at the appropriate time into the blood stream. Taking this process down one scale – into

nanoencapsulation – may give doctors a safer and more efficient weapon to use in the war on cancer.

Clearly, though, before you can understand how such applications work, you first need to see what

encapsulation is and the kind of chemical process associated with it. To that end, you will study a model

system (a simple example that can be used to represent more complicated cases. That system will involve

forming capsules (from here on referred to as macrospheres) by combining a solution of sodium alginate

(a commercially useful polymer obtained from seaweed) with a solution of calcium chloride. To

appreciate how this formation will occur, think of the sodium alginate in the solution as spaghetti strands

laying on a plate: They are all separate from each other (assuming you are a good cook) and they are

randomly organized; this is why the solution is a liquid. These strands of sodium alginate have carboxyl

groups (a combination of a carbon atom and two oxygen atoms carrying a single negative charge) sticking

out of them every so often. When you combine this solution with the calcium chloride solution, calcium

ions (Ca+2, with a double positive charge) are able to grab onto carboxyl groups from two different

strands and form a ‘bridge’ between them. This process – known as cross-linking – produces something

akin to a spider’s web, with the alginate polymer strands representing the main threads and the calcium-

carboxyl bridges serving as the connecting threads. The

bottom line is that it organizes the polymer strands and

results in the formation of a gel-like material. See the

picture to the right.

There will be two different sources of the sodium

alginate for creating this model encapsulated system. One

will be a solution made of pure sodium alginate dissolved in

water. The other will be Gaviscon, a commercial antacid that

contains sodium alginate (as a thickening agent), but also

contains several other chemicals including the two active

ingredients. These two sources will be compared; they will be compared by looking at what happens

when the macrospheres created from them are transferred from the solution in which they are created into

(1) vinegar and (2) a solution made from the commercial product pH Down (which is mostly the

compound sodium bisulfate and is used to lower the pH of pool water).

How will you make these comparisons, though? The most important thing for you to remember

going into this investigation is that the sodium alginate and Gaviscon both will have had Congo Red

indicator added to them by your instructor. The molecules of this indicator will become encapsulated in

the alginate macrospheres when they are formed. Once you transfer these macrospheres to the vinegar

and pH Down solutions, the indicator trapped in them – as well as your keen observations – will allow

you to follow the course of events. Your goal will be to note similarities / differences between what

occurs in the vinegar and what occurs in the pH Down solution. Likewise, you should be making

comparisons between the pure alginate spheres and the Gaviscon spheres.

As you do what was described in the previous paragraph, keep two things in mind. First, as was

stated at the outset of this Introduction, this activity is [partially] designed to give you a chance to firm up

your understanding of ideas related to the chemistry of acids and bases. Second, as you put your

knowledge of acids and bases to good use, you should be thinking about what is going on inside and

outside the macrospheres. This will be an important first step towards being able to see how encapsula-

tion can be used in some many wonderful applications.

Procedure

1. Obtain a 6-well reaction plate, a 5” x 8” index card, and a pair of tweezers.

2. From the chemical storage area, obtain a beaker containing 0.3 M calcium chloride [CaCl2].

3. Consult the picture below throughout the remainder of this investigation as a reference . . .

4. Lay your 6-well Rx plate on the 5” x 8” index card in the orientation shown in the drawing above.

5. Pour the 0.3 M calcium chloride solution into the left-hand-most (i.e. first) well in each of the two

rows until the well is about ¾ of the way full.

6. Obtain a beaker of sodium alginate with Congo Red indicator mixed into it. Draw some of this

mixture up into a pipet. Hold the pipet a few centimeters above the surface of the CaCl2 solution

in the well in row 1 and begin releasing drops of the alginate-indicator mixture into it. Release

~12 drops. Record observations about the spheres produced. What is trapped in these spheres?

7. Repeat step 6. but this time use a beaker containing Gaviscon with Congo Red indicator mixed

into it and release the drops of this mixture above the surface of the CaCl2 in the well in row 2.

Again, record your observations. What is trapped in these spheres?

8. Obtain a beaker containing vinegar. Fill the middle well in each of the two rows of your reaction

plate about ¾ of the way with vinegar.

9. Obtain a beaker containing pH Minus (sodium bisulfate, NaHSO4). Fill the right-hand-most

[last] well in each of the two rows of your reaction plate about ¾ of the way with this solution.

10. Rinse your pair of tweezers. You should have noticed the formation of macrospheres in well 1

of each of the rows. Use the tweezers to carefully pick up half (~6) of the macrospheres in well

1 of row 1 (formed from the pure sodium alginate) one at a time and transfer them into the

vinegar in the middle well of row 1. What is surrounding these spheres? Make observations of

any immediate changes that take place.

11. Transfer the other half (~6) of the macrospheres in well 1 of row 1 into the pH Minus in the right-

hand-most [last] well of row 1. What is surrounding these spheres? Make observations of

any immediate changes that take place.

12. Repeat the transfer described in 10. and 11. for the macrospheres in well 1 of row 2 (formed from

the Gaviscon), moving half of them into the vinegar in the middle well of row 2 and half of

them into the pH Minus in the last well of row 2. Again, make notes of any immediate changes.

13. You are asked to check on the systems in the two middle wells and in the two right-hand-most

wells as you answer the questions below and then record additional observations.

14. Answer these questions concerning the procedure you just completed:

a. What is the pH range and color change(s) of Congo Red indicator?

b. What do you know about the chemical nature (properties) of vinegar? What about sodium

bisulfate (the main ingredient in pH Minus)? What is similar about them? What is different?

c. What was similar about the changes that occurred when the alginate / Gaviscon macrospheres

were transferred to vinegar and when they were transferred to pH Minus? What was different

about the changes? What was happening [chemically] to produce those changes?

d. What was different about what happened to the Gaviscon macrospheres compared to what

happened to the alginate macrospheres when they were put into the two different solutions?

Provide an explanation for this. (Hint: Look at the ingredients list on a bottle of Gaviscon.)

15. Clean up the contents of the reaction plate by rinsing them down the sink with ample water.

Data Table

Step Observations Answers to Questions

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

Introductory Chemistry Name_____________________________

Activity Set, Extension Project Date _____________________________

Using Nanotechnology to Wage the War on Cancer

Introduction

If asked ‘How do we treat cancer?’, most people would reply either radiation therapy or chemo-

therapy. Those who were knowledgeable on the subject would recognize that these are, in fact, two

different strategies for fighting cancer, the first relying on high-energy or ionizing radiation to do the job

and the second relying on potent chemical toxins. Even those who are not this knowledgeable on the topic

are aware that both carry with them serious side effects. These include hair loss, nausea, fatigue, and

sterilization. The reason for these side effects is quite simple: Both radiation therapy and chemotherapy are

‘dumb bombs’ in that they kill healthy (‘good’) cells as well as unhealthy (‘cancer’ cells). What research

into cancer treatments has been striving for is the development of ‘smart bombs’ – agents which will lock

onto only cancerous targets and leave innocent bystanders alone. Developments in the field of nanotech-

nology hold the promise of realizing this goal.

You have already seen the principle behind one of those developments – nanoreactors – in the

activity that preceded this project. The idea of the work that follows is to allow you to learn more about

such breakthroughs: The principles behind them, how they will work to kill (or diagnose) cancer cells, what

their advantages are over the ‘standard methods’ (radiation and chemotherapy), and how far along the

progress is towards using them on cancer patients.

There are numerous ways in which nanotechnology is being brought to bear on cancer (both

diagnosis and treatment): Nanoreactors (mentioned above), Buckyballs, nanoshells, quantum dots,

dendrimers, and cantilevers (to name some of the more important ones). It is not possible for one person

or group of persons to know all of the things identified in the previous paragraph about all of these different

strategies. As a result, this activity is designed so that each group of you will pick one of those strategies,

learn as much about it as possible, and then share your knowledge with the other groups so that they can at

least have a basic understanding of it.

The presentation each group will give can come in many different forms: It could be a poster,

overhead transparencies, PowerPoint slides, short video presentation, etc., etc. Use whatever format best

suits the information you gather and your own personal talents to decide which route to go. In the end,

though, whatever format you choose, your presentation needs to be (1) clear and concise, (2) informative,

(3) well constructed, and (4) entertaining (criteria upon which you will be evaluated).

Since you are members of the ‘Internet’ generation, it is assumed that you are capable of conducting

your own research into the strategy your group chooses. Remember as you do so to (1) check (and double

check) and (2) cite your sources. Below, you will be provided with a couple of web sites in each of the

various strategy categories just to get you started. You will be expected, however, to have more sources of

information than just the couple of references given to you . . .

1. General Information about Nanotechnology in Medicine / Cancer Treatment:

a. www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/understandingcancer/nanodevices

b. www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3209/03.html

2. Nanoreactors:

a. http://nano.cancer.gov/news_center/nanotech_news_2005-10-24c.asp

b. www.arl.army.mil/wmrd/Tech/NanoMat.pdf#search='nanoreactors'

3. Nanoshells:

a. http://nano.cancer.gov/resource_center/nano_critical.asp

b. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/06/040622020433.htm

4. Buckyballs:

a. www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,45481,00.html

b. www.nsti.org/news/item.html?id=39

5. Quantum Dots:

a. www.evidenttech.com/qdot-definition/quantum-dot-about.php

b. www.livescience.com/technology/050415_nano_probes.html

6. Dendrimers

a. www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7540&feedId=online-news_rss20

b. www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=14883&ch=biotech

7. Cantilevers

a. http://nano.cancer.gov/resource_center/nanotech_cantilevers.asp#

b. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1516956.stm

Encapsulation and Nanotechnology Applications to Cancer

Activities Evaluation Rubric

Group Members: ________________________ ________________________

________________________ ________________________

Rubric Element Score Spectrum

1. Carefully followed procedural details in the 0 1 2 3 4 5

Encapsulation investigation

2. Recorded thorough observations of sphere 0 1 2 3 4 5

appearance, color changes, bubble formation,

etc. during Encapsulation investigation

3. Used prior knowledge of weak and strong acids 0 1 2 3 4 5

and bases to explain differences between

spheres in vinegar and those in pH Down

4. Used prior knowledge concerning the properties 0 1 2 3 4 5

of acids and bases to explain the bubbling

produced in the Gaviscon spheres

5. Conducted adequate research on the Nanotech 0 1 2 3 4 5

application to cancer to gather sufficient info

6. Properly checked and cited the sources used in 0 1 2 3 4 5

their Nanotech application to cancer presentation

7. Presentation format was neatly developed and 0 1 2 3 4 5

showed evidence of adequate time devoted to it

8. Presentation itself was informative and entertaining 0 1 2 3 4 5

Points Achieved: __________

Possible Points: __________

Comments:

40